Michigan & The Right to Work

And Again . . .

     

            And Again . . .  

             

                         And Again . . .

Growing up in the South has its advantages and disadvantages just like any other geographic area, I suppose, but when it comes time to find employment, I personally would rather work in a Right to Work State than in a State that forces one to join a Union.

In the beginning and especially after Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle, unions benefitted the employee by  offering a united voice against management, receiving increased money and benefits in the process; however, gradually over the years, the demands of the union placed unnecessary financial burdens on management because it got to the point where the night janitor could not replace light bulbs because that had to be a union worker from another trade.  And, that is not an exaggeration.

Michigan protestors

The Michigan House approved a second right-to-work bill on Tuesday that would cover all private employees, by a vote of 58-52.

Republicans have asked for a reconsideration of the votes, which means final passage on the private sector bill, SB 116, before it reaches the Michigan Governor's desk, will most likely be delayed till tomorrow.

"It's a sad day for the middle class and the state of democracy in Michigan when legislation that harms workers is successfully rushed through the process without any hearings or debate," said House Democratic Leader Richard E. Hammel (Mt. Morris Twp.) in a statement emailed to The Huffington Post.

"Despite repeated calls for hearings on this legislation, Republicans insisted on moving it through the Legislature as fast as they could. We are appalled by the continued assault on the standard of living of Michigan's working men and women."

Protesters and union supporters have gathered in the state capitol of Lansing to oppose the bills, shouting "shame on you" in the galleries and leading demonstrations on the grounds.  The House first passed a measure pertaining with public-sector employees by a vote of 58-51. Democrats tried to have the vote reconsidered but failed.

State Capital - Lansing, Mich.

Michigan's Republicans hold majorities in both legislative houses – 64-46 in the House and 26-12 in the Senate.

The right-to-work legislation will deal a crippling blow to unions in Michigan, opponents say. The bills will allow employees to choose whether they pay union dues at businesses that are unionized. While supporters say that the bill will make Michigan more competitive to businesses looking to locate in the state, detractors suggest that unions will become defunded and suggest that employees' ability to negotiate with their employers will be lessened by the new legislation.

Passage of this legislation will not only hurt unions in Michigan but it will hurt most if not all of the southern states as well because part of the south’s attraction is the fact that northern companies can relocate to southern jurisdictions to avoid unions.  So, in a way, the south needs unions to remain firmly planted in the north, otherwise our economic future in the “rust and Bible belt” permanently damaged.

It seems like those northern folks just can’t seem to leave us

southern folks alone…